This study investigates determinants of Gen Z visit intention to Mount Bromo, i.e., expectation, perceived value, social value, and interrelation between visit intention. According to feedback from 221 Gen Z participants using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS), the study reveals that expectations have significant impacts on perceived value and visit intention, highlighting its central role as the main antecedent of travel decision-making. The perceived value is the most reliable predictor of visit intention, and it makes Gen Z value-driven tourists who care more about authenticity, emotional fulfillment, and self-expression than cost–benefit. Social value is a significant predictor of perceived value but not a direct predictor of visit intention in the sense that peer respect and acceptance are only significant when expressed as personal value judgments. Mediation analysis also offers evidence of the central bridging function of perceived value between expectation, social value, and intention. Finally, the research concludes that Gen Z travel choices are decided less by external influences and more by pragmatic expectations, real cultural experiences, and socially meaningful interactions building personal satisfaction. These findings provide insight into theoretical models of visit intention and provide real-world implications for destination managers to promote branding, increase perceived value, and develop culture-rich experiences in nurturing domestic tourism growth in Indonesia.